Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 1913. IMMIGRATION QUESTION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 2 July 1913, Page 4

Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 1913. IMMIGRATION QUESTION.

The immigration proposals of the Government are being freely discussed.! by the Press ol Uio Dominion a. the present time. Wlule it is admitted tnat an effort should be made to induce men with capital, farm labourers, and to come to our shares, there is a very strong feeling that the Government will nave u. formulate a definite scheme for th«. absorption of labour on its arrival ir New Zealand. In a recent article we emphasised the importance of thia aspect of the immigration question, and we note. with interest that tl. Farmers' Union Advocate endorses our views. In its last issue, the Advocate said :—"One of the main weak- , nesses of the proposal is the fact that there -is not enough responsibility on the Department to ensure immediate and lasting employment'. It is all yery well to leave it to the farming wnmunity to guarantee th.it, but by wliat method is it to be accomplished? The Farmers' Union has on many occasions expressed a willingness to aid the Department in absorbing the labour brought to our shores, and we are assiu-od that the appplications for men ami boys will be numerous at certain of tho year, .but if a condition is to b< v attaohed to the supply of labour to tin effect that continuous ouiployment beyond the busy season must be guar-;' anteed, well, we bolier«> it will mo<>. erate the demand very oonsiderab'' and may provide a reason for th" -'' tial cessation of the stroaw "' . .' P grants that we hope to »' immi " into New Zealand. •" , s&& P°arinr Union has stated tK l } e * armors for 3000 farm Uv* lt there « f OO " 11 a statement*' ouver s and 200 boys, isber sUtfJ' reiterated by the Min ' ~ 'fak*?' ' **> • some extent, the Union alia*' ' ,ts honour to l>ack up that y jement. That it will do so, we nave not a shadow of doubt, if given a reasonable chance. But if the Department is going to rely simply on a circular asking farmers whether they want, 'lien, a few weeks before they arrive, much disappointment will be the result. Nor can we expect the branch secretaries —who are in most cases honorary—to devote

their energies to scouring their districts in search of fanners who may want labour, just when they are notified that so many men will arrive in six or seven weeks' time. No! the Immigration Department has a definite responsibility to find out by personal application—either through recognised labour exchanges, or the Labour Department's agencies, or by advertisement —where the immigrants can bo placed with a prospect of regular employment. The farmer is in a somewhat difficult position. He manages hi s farm in accordance with the supply of labour; if labour, is plentiful, he will not hesitate to' prepare his land for cropping, and will sow crops that entail more than an ordinary amount of labour. / Latterly he has been confining his operations so as to do with a minimum of labour, and he will not change, unless he is assured of a plentiful supply at the right time. If the Department will .make it known that applications for labour, during certain months of the year at stipulated ratea for practical men, will be supplied by impor-

tation, iahen, we believe, there will be a, satisfactory response; but not if A certain number of men are to be, brought out by each steamer, and applications invited between the time of their departure end arrival. The question of the engagement of factory hands does not particularly concern us, except in so far as it applies to the general scheme, and in relation to the attraction to the towns of men who are imported as farm labourers. Under the restrictions placed upon factory proprietors to satisfy the Minister of the real soarcity of labour, and the fact that they receive no protection should the immigrant on arrival refuse to take on the work, it is hardly to be exited that many will take advantage of the scheme. The result will be that manufacturers will pay a higher rate for local workers, in order to attract the*ii, and if, the cities cnnnot meet the demand, worker H will drift from the country districts to fill the vacancies. We do not wish to labour these points, but the success of the propoals does not end with the selection of the right olasg at Home. A complete system of organisation is equally necessary to this end, and nothing should be left to chance."